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This Week in Missouri Supreme Court: Week of October 17, 2017

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The Missouri Supreme Court offered just one hand down for the week of October 17, 2017. In the State of Missouri v. Larry Clay, Clay appealed a decision that found him guilty of second-degree murder and armed criminal action, which sentenced him to 25 years in prison.

After an argument between Clay and three other men at his house, the altercation escalated into a physical conflict. During the fight, Clay stabbed two men twice, while there was a testimony discrepancy about the third. Clay left the fight to grab his gun and told the men to leave his house. When the men were outside in his driveway, Clay told them to leave another time and resulted in another argument. Then Clay shot and killed Joel White.

Clay alleges that he was acting in self-defense and lacked a duty to retreat and appealed a lower court’s decision to convict him. The Missouri Supreme Court unanimously decided that the court did not err in their judgment of second-degree murder and armed criminal action.